Mountain Menace
by Aviation
Summary: Tigerpaw, Mistypaw, Sootpaw, and Hollypaw are four loyal ThunderClan apprentices. But what happens when cats start disappearing, one by one? Can Tigerpaw and his friends find the threat - and save their Clanmates - or will they be too late? -On Hiatus-
1. Allegiances

_Disclaimer: I do not own warriors but I am pretty sure I own most if not all of these cats._

**A/N: DON'T BOTHER READING ALL THE ALLEGIANCES!** **It will take FOREVER! (Believe me, I learned this when I tried to edit it). Just skip it if you want. You don't need them to understand the story-not really. It's just a handy reference. (But if you would like to read it, by all means, go ahead!)**

**Allegiances**

**ThunderClan**

**Leader: Ivystar – **black she-cat with blue eyes and one white paw

**Deputy: Cloudface – **white she-cat with grey spots and amber eyes

**MedicineCat: Stonefoot – **grey tom with green eyes

**Warriors:**

**Redwhisker – **reddish tom with brown eyes

**Apprentice, Mosspaw**

**Mouseflower – **grey she-cat with white flecks and amber eyes

**Apprentice, Mudpaw**

**Sandheart – **golden she-cat with white paws and green eyes

**Apprentice, Sootpaw**

**Brightstorm – **beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Hollypaw**

**Swiftfoot – **grey and white tom with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Tumblepaw**

**Ravenwind – **sleek black tom with green eyes

**Apprentice, Tigerpaw**

**Lionstripe – **handsome golden tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Mistypaw**

**Queens:**

**Smokeflower – **black she-cat with green eyes (kits Flowerkit, Rosekit, Gingerkit)

**Darkspot – **brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (kits Birdkit, Fishkit)

**Elders:**

**Tornstripe – **black and brown tabby tom with grey eyes

**Clawfoot – **grey and black tom with blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

**Mosspaw – **tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

**Mudpaw – **brown tom with green eyes

**Sootpaw – **black she-cat with blue-green eyes

**Hollypaw – **golden she-cat with blue eyes

**Tumblepaw – **dusty brown tom with amber eyes

**Mistypaw – **grey she-cat with amber eyes

**Tigerpaw** **–** golden tom with green eyes

**WindClan**

**Leader: Fernstar – **tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

**Deputy: Runningstripe – **swift grey tom with white paws and blue eyes

**Apprentice, Nightpaw**

**Medicine Cat: Thornspot – **brown tom with two tan paws and amber eyes

**Apprentice, Windpaw**

**Warriors:**

**Mudtail – **black she-cat with brown rings on her tail and blue eyes

**Apprentice, Barleypaw**

**Snaketail – **brown and white tom with a long, snake-like tail and amber eyes

**Apprentice, Frostpaw**

**Spottedear – **tan she-cat with brown spots on her ear and blue eyes

**Apprentice, Sandpaw**

**Featherstorm – **white and tan she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice, Redpaw**

**Emberclaw – **ginger tom with green eyes

**Apprentice, Eaglepaw**

**Queens:**

**Featherstripe – **grey and brown she-cat with blue eyes (kits Ashkit, Longkit)

**Wingfeather – **ginger she-cat with blue eyes (kits Talonkit, Swiftkit, Runningkit)

**Elders:**

**Grayfeather – **grey she-cat with three white paws and blue eyes

**Ashcloud – **grey and white she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices:**

**Nightpaw – **black and brown tom with green eyes

**Barleypaw – **dusty brown tom with amber eyes

**Frostpaw – **white she-cat with grey stripes and amber eyes

**Sandpaw – **golden-brown tom with blue eyes

**Redpaw – **reddish-brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Eaglepaw – **brown and white she-cat with amber eyes

**Windpaw – **golden tom with green eyes

**RiverClan**

**Leader: Rainstar – **brown tom with white flecks and blue eyes

**Apprentice, Graypaw**

**Deputy: Runningbrook – **silver and brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Crowpaw**

**Medicine Cat: Wetfur – **grey and brown she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice, Riverpaw**

**Warriors:**

**Clawtail – **silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Hawkpaw**

**Mossfur – **pretty she-cat with a dappled pelt and blue eyes

**Flowerclaw – **ginger and white she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice, Fernpaw**

**Brambleheart – **handsome brown tom with white flecks and amber eyes

**Russetclaw – **brown and tan tom with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Thornpaw**

**Owlwing – **handsome brown and tan tom with green eyes

**Iceflower – **white and gold she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Bluepaw**

**Spottedfoot – **handsome jet-black tom with white spots on one paw and blue eyes

**Queens:**

**Aspenwing – **pale ginger she-cat with green eyes (kits Silverkit, Marshkit)

**Lilytail – **grey and black she-cat with golden eyes (kits Dawnkit, Leopardkit, Whitekit, Gingerkit, Horsekit, Dustkit)

**Apprentices: **

**Graypaw – **pretty grey she-cat with blue eyes

**Crowpaw – **grey and black tom with green eyes

**Riverpaw – **beautiful grey and brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Hawkpaw – **ginger and brown tom with blue eyes

**Fernpaw – **grey and brown she-cat with green eyes

**Thornpaw – **golden-brown tom with green eyes

**Bluepaw – **blue-grey tom with white flecks and amber eyes

**ShadowClan**

**Leader: Whitestar – **handsome black tom with a white throat and amber eyes

**Deputy: Littleclaw – **black and white tom with green eyes

**Apprentice, Brightpaw**

**MedicineCat: Treeshadow – **white tom with black stripes and amber eyes

**Apprentice, Dawnpaw**

**Warriors:**

**Sandpelt – **golden-brown tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Yellowpaw**

**Duststorm – **brown tom with bright blue eyes

**Apprentice, Smokepaw**

**Tallclaw – **dark brown tom with green eyes

**Apprentice, Cinderpaw**

**Foxshadow – **ginger and black tom with green eyes

**Apprentice, Willowpaw**

**Redfeather – **reddish-brown tom with green eyes

**Apprentice, Talonpaw**

**Ashmask – **brown and black she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Goldenpaw**

**Jetstorm – **brown and grey she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Redpaw**

**Queens:**

**Fernstripe – **grey and brown she-cat with amber eyes (kits Thicketkit, Thistlekit, Thornkit)

**Mousetail – **dusty brown she-cat with green eyes (kits Icekit, Mothkit)

**Mosscloud – **ginger and brown she-cat with blue eyes (kits Applekit, Longkit)

**Swiftwing – **sleek black and grey she-cat with amber eyes (kits Whitekit, Stormkit)

**Redear – **dark brown she-cat with a reddish ear and blue eyes (kits unborn)

**Shiningeyes – **golden she-cat with shimmering blue eyes (kits unborn)

**Apprentices:**

**Brightpaw – **ginger and brown she-cat with green eyes

**Dawnpaw – **golden she-cat with a white underbelly and green eyes

**Yellowpaw – **yellowish-grey she-cat with blue eyes

**Smokepaw – **grey and black tom with green eyes

**Willowpaw – **brown and grey she-cat with amber eyes

**Talonpaw – **golden-brown tom with deep blue eyes

**Cinderpaw – **ginger she-cat with blue eyes

**Goldenpaw – **golden she-cat with brown eyes

**Redpaw – **red and tan tom with green eyes

**A/N: Well, if you bothered to read the allegiances, hoorah! You finished! If you skipped them, you just saved yourself a lot of time. Enjoy the story!**


	2. Prologue

Prologue

Riverpaw awoke with a jolt. The medicine cat apprentice was sure that she'd seen something. She was still in her den, still in the RiverClan camp, but some cat was outside. Padding softly outside, Riverpaw looked in the direction of the strange cat. Snowpool! Snowpool had been the previous RiverClan medicine cat, before Wetfur.

The beautiful StarClan she-cat padded up to the apprentice. "Trouble is to come for all the Clans," she meowed. "I have been sent to deliver a prophecy."

Riverpaw listened in awe to the strange prophecy:

"_Talons of Prey from far above_

_Will come and steal those that you love,_

_And drop them into the paws_

_Of the evil mountain Claws."_

"But what does it mean?" Riverpaw asked, her face wrinkled in confusion. "Talons of Prey? What prey? And who are the mountain Claws?"

"Soon you will know more," Snowpool meowed, her starry pelt beginning to fade. "Now is not the time, young medicine cat."

"Wait!" Riverpaw called as the StarClan she-cat disappeared into the mist. "I don't understand!"

"You will in time," Snowpool purred, her voice barely a whisper, her pelt barely visible. And then she was gone.

**A/N: Ooh! What do you think is going on? Keep reading!**


	3. Rat Attack

_Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, Erin Hunter does, but I do own this story, so please ask me before copying it in any way._ _If I have any of the same names in my Fanfic as someone else does in theirs, it's completely coincidental._

Chapter One

Tigerpaw tasted the air and dropped to a hunter's crouch. Seconds later, he sprang and caught a rabbit. Proudly, he brought his prey back to his mentor.

"Well done," Ravenwind meowed as his apprentice added the rabbit to his growing collection of fresh-kill. "Hollypaw hasn't returned yet. We'd better go find her."

"I have to agree," Brightstorm, Hollypaw's mentor, replied. "Your sister has been gone much too long, Tigerpaw."

Tigerpaw sighed. Hollypaw always wanted to catch the biggest piece of prey. He tried to remember where she'd said she was going, but all he could think of was the story Mudpaw had told. All the apprentices had listened wide-eyed to tales of humongous mice on the border with ShadowClan. Certainly, that's where Hollypaw would have gone.

Ravenwind's meow jerked him back to the present. "Brightstorm, why don't you check along the border with RiverClan? I'll go to the border with WindClan, and Tigerpaw can go to the border with ShadowClan. We'd better get a few cats to go with us, though. Wait here." The sleek black tom disappeared in the direction of the ThunderClan camp.

Moments later, he returned with volunteers to join the search. "Lionstripe and Mistypaw can go with me," Ravenwind meowed to the golden tom and grey she-cat beside him. "Redwhisker and Mosspaw can go with Brightstorm, and Sandheart and Sootpaw can go with Tigerpaw." With that, Ravenwind's patrol raced away in the direction of WindClan.

"Let's go," Brightstorm meowed, and soon her tortoiseshell pelt had disappeared as well.

"Before we go, let's think," Sandheart said. Turning to Sootpaw, she asked, "Do you think Hollypaw is in danger?"

The black she-cat began confidently. "The patrols are all about equally determined to find her- Brightstorm's because she is Hollypaw's mentor, Lionstripe's because Hollypaw is his daughter, and ours because you and Tigerpaw are her mother and brother. But the other two are looking in the wrong places. And yes, I'm sure she's in danger."

Sootpaw's last sentence was so determined that Tigerpaw began to worry for his sister. Sootpaw usually tried to think positively in situations like this.

Sandheart seemed to know this as well. "What do you mean?" the golden and white she-cat meowed anxiously. "How can you be sure?"

"This morning, Mudpaw told all the apprentices about giant mice by the Thunderpath. Hollypaw said she was going to catch one. I wasn't worried until I overheard Stonefoot talking to Cloudface and Ivystar about how the big mice had to be rats. But by then, Hollypaw had already left." Sootpaw's answer was not unsure in the least.

"Then why are we standing her?" Sandheart meowed and raced towards the border with ShadowClan, the two apprentices close at her hells.

Sandheart stopped dead in her tracks when they reached the Thunderpath. In front of them were three mouse-like creatures, about the size of big cats. Their pointed faces and beady eyes made them look entirely evil. "Those are way bigger than regular rats," the golden she-cat meowed.

Suddenly, the rats turned to face them. "Attack!" Sandheart ordered. She leapt onto the nearest rat, and the two rolled over and over on the ground.

Sootpaw began clawing another rat, her blue-green eyes burning with intensity. The third rat began to close in on the black apprentice.

Tigerpaw leapt at the furry creature, his claws sinking into its fur. The rat whirled around and sank his teeth into Tigerpaw's leg. Yowling in pain, Tigerpaw scraped his claws against the rat's belly. The rat shrieked and released its grip.

A terrified yowl sounded. The rat Sootpaw had been fighting was twice the size of either of the others, and it had her pinned down.

New strength overcame Tigerpaw. He grabbed the rat he'd been fighting by the neck and threw it into the trunk of a tall oak tree. Racing towards Sootpaw, he leapt and sank his teeth into the giant rat's neck. The rat jumped off of Sootpaw and shook Tigerpaw off, throwing him against a boulder and stunning him. It raised a paw and scraped its razor-sharp claws over Sootpaw's stomach. The black apprentice lay still.

White-hot intensity burned deep within Tigerpaw. He dove at the rat, barreling it over. He dug his claws deep into the creature's underbelly. The rat shrieked loudly and was still.

Looking up, he saw that Sandheart had killed the rat she'd leapt at and now stood at her apprentice's side. Slowly padding over, Tigerpaw saw Sootpaw pull herself to her feet. "I'm fine," she meowed. "Just a few scratches."

The trio padded over to the Thunderpath to see if they could find Hollypaw. Maybe she'd seen how big the rats were and hidden.

Sandheart gasped. Looking over, Tigerpaw saw a golden pelt lying motionless on the Thunderpath.

A/N: This is my first Fanfic, so no flames please. I just want to see if you like the idea. If not, I'll probably take it off. If you like it, R&R please!


	4. ShadowClan

Chapter Two

Sootpaw was the first to recover. She raced over to Hollypaw and sniffed her rapidly. "I think she's alive," the black she-cat yowled to her companions.

Tigerpaw sprinted to her side. He was relieved to see the gentle rise and fall of his sister's chest. But looking more carefully, he saw numerous rat bites covering her completely. Turning to his mother, he asked the question on everyone's mind. "Will she be alright?"

"I really don't know," Sandheart meowed dejectedly. "But if she has this many bites, there had to have been more rats."

Sootpaw tasted the air. "Other than the ones we fought, I smell about four others. They're all dead though. Follow me- one of you, that is." Sootpaw raced off and Tigerpaw leapt to join her.

"Halt!" hissed a voice. The two apprentices whirled around.

"What are you doing?" Whitestar, the ShadowClan leader, asked. "Are there more rats?"

Treeshadow, the ShadowClan medicine cat, and his apprentice, Dawnpaw, stood nearby. "You're Tigerpaw, and you're Sootpaw, I think," Dawnpaw meowed. "Is Hollypaw okay?"

"What do you mean? What happened?" Tigerpaw demanded. "Why didn't you help her, if you were here?"

"Calm down," Treeshadow meowed. "Two ShadowClan kits, Whitekit and Stormkit, were playing by the border. When Dawnpaw went to bring them back, she saw three colossal rats on the Thunderpath. She tried to go quietly to where the kits were. Do you want to tell us what happened next, Dawnpaw?" Treeshadow meowed to his apprentice.

Dawnpaw's appearance was strikingly familiar. Her pelt was golden and her eyes were green. The only difference between her and Tigerpaw was her white underbelly. Her personality, though, was incomparably calm and serene, exactly the opposite of Tigerpaw. "I snuck around the enormous rats, but when I got close to the kits, I saw four more rats. Not nearly as big as the other three, only about as big as rabbits- but that's still big for a rat. They were closing in on the kits and I was getting ready to leap when Hollypaw appeared out of nowhere. I figured that the first thing I should do was get the kits away, so I took them back to camp as fast as I could."

"Why didn't you just hide them in a bush and go help Hollypaw?" Tigerpaw asked.

"Because the three cat-sized rats could have gotten them," Sootpaw meowed sensibly.

"Anyway," Dawnpaw continued, "by the time I got back, Hollypaw had killed all the rats. I was shocked. But then I saw how much they'd bitten her and I ran to go get Treeshadow. And we were coming to help her now. But what about the giant rats? Did you see them?" Her questions were directed at Tigerpaw and Sootpaw.

"They're dead. Sootpaw, Sandheart, and I killed them," Tigerpaw answered proudly. "But we don't know if Hollypaw is going to be alright."

"Then lead us to her. We owe ThunderClan at least that much," Treeshadow meowed.

Tigerpaw and Sootpaw led the ShadowClan cats back to Hollypaw and Sandheart. "And what is this?" Sandheart asked. "ShadowClan! What are they doing here?"

"It's alright!" Sootpaw meowed. "They're only here to help!" As she was explaining the situation to her mentor, Tigerpaw watched Treeshadow and Dawnpaw work. Soon, they were finished. "Tell Stonefoot to make sure he has lots of burdock root in his supply of herbs," Treeshadow meowed to the golden apprentice. "And be careful when you bring her back."

The small ThunderClan patrol left a few minutes later, with Sandheart carrying Hollypaw. "I wonder what happened to those rats to make them so big," Sootpaw wondered out loud.

A rustling noise behind them shattered everyone's speculations. Seconds later, the bushes parted and a familiar golden she-cat with a white underbelly stepped through.

"Sorry to intrude on your territory," Dawnpaw meowed, "but I brought burdock root because at the last half moon Stonefoot said his supply was very low.

"That's great! That's sure to help," Tigerpaw purred.

Soon the five cats arrived at the ThunderClan camp. Lionstripe rushed over immediately and helped his mate take their daughter to Stonefoot's den. Ivystar and Cloudface were the next to notice the arrival.

"What's going on?" Cloudface demanded. "What is the ShadowClan medicine cat doing in OUR camp?"

"Hold on," Ivystar meowed. "We'll give them a chance to tell the Clan what they know." The black she-cat leapt atop the Highrock and yowled the summons. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey please gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."

Soon, the cats were assembled. "Tigerpaw, Sootpaw, would you two like to tell the Clan what's happened?" Ivystar asked.

Tigerpaw looked at Sootpaw. She looked confident. Taking a deep breath, he leapt with her onto the Highrock.

"As some of you might know, Hollypaw went missing earlier this morning. Tigerpaw, Sandheart, and I went to check near the ShadowClan border," Sootpaw began. "We fought and killed three colossal-sized rats. I mean colossal as in cat-sized." Yowls of surprise came from the Clan.

"We found Hollypaw lying on the Thunderpath. After talking with Whitestar and his medicine cats, we found out that Hollypaw had killed four rabbit-sized rats, saving two ShadowClan kits," Tigerpaw continued. "They helped us treat her. On our way back, Dawnpaw, the ShadowClan medicine cat apprentice, stopped us and said that she brought burdock root since our supply was quite low."

"Well, Dawnpaw," Ivystar asked. "You can give the burdock root to Stonefoot." The she-cat padded off towards the medicine cat's den. "The Gathering is tonight," the leader continued. "I'll be taking Cloudface, Mouseflower, Mudpaw, Sandheart, Sootpaw, Ravenwind, Tigerpaw, Lionstripe, and Mistypaw. Stonefoot, I want you to stay here to tend Hollypaw." With that, the black she-cat disappeared in the direction of Fourtrees, her chosen cats close at her heels.

A/N: I know ShadowClan isn't really that friendly NOW, but this is a long time ago, and plus they have to be kind-of nice because they have a big part in the story. Sorry to have humongous rats-it doesn't sound that realistic-but I needed to have that part for something that's going to happen later. R&R!


	5. Gathering and the Prophecy

Chapter Three

Fernstar's yowl signaled the beginning of the Gathering. Tigerpaw and Sootpaw stood near the Great Rock awaiting news.

Whitestar spoke first, giving a vivid description of what happened with the rats. Ivystar repeated the story from ThunderClan's point of view. None of this was new to Tigerpaw. Then, Fernstar spoke. "We have plenty of prey and lots of kits. Our only main news is that three of our apprentices, Nightpaw, Frostpaw, and Barleypaw, and the warrior Mudtail, have disappeared. Has any cat seen them?"

Curious murmurs spread across the clearing, but no one had seen any of the four missing cats. Rainstar stepped up. "Three of our apprentices have disappeared as well. Bluepaw, Crowpaw, and Graypaw are missing, along with the warrior Iceflower. But our medicine cat apprentice has received a prophecy from StarClan. Riverpaw?"

Riverpaw stepped up. Tigerpaw and Sootpaw glanced at each other. Eight cats missing? Riverpaw began to speak. "I received a prophecy two sunrises before cats started disappearing. It was from Snowpool, the previous RiverClan medicine cat."

Gasps of surprise rose from the cats. Snowpool had been a much loved and respected medicine cat that had died trying to keep a fox out of the nursery. Everyone seemed anxious to hear her words.

"She gave me a prophecy that Wetfur helped me interpret. Her exact words were…" Each individual cat leaned forwards to catch the words.

"_Talons of Prey from far above_

_Will come and steal those that you love,_

_And drop them into the paws_

_Of the evil mountain Claws."_

Wetfur stepped up to give her interpretation. "I believe that some animal is stealing cats. Every Clan must keep a close watch for intruders. I also know that some of you may be thinking of the rats on the Thunderpath." Tigerpaw looked around and saw many cats cast uneasy glances at each other. "It cannot be the rats," the grey and brown she-cat continued. "Our patrols have searched the clearing and found no traces of scents made by any animal other that our usual prey and ourselves. If anyone figures out anything more to do with the prophecy, please give the information as soon as possible."

"If no cat has anything more to say, I think we should end this Gathering," Ivystar meowed, leaping down from the Great Rock.

As they headed towards camp, Sootpaw and Tigerpaw walked side by side. "Do you have any idea what that could mean?" Sootpaw asked.

"Not a clue," Tigerpaw meowed back. "But I do think that Wetfur is right-it probably has nothing to do with the rats."

Sootpaw shuddered. "I hope the animal doesn't come to ThunderClan. We'll all have to watch our backs."

Whatever happened, Tigerpaw intended to do everything he could to keep his Clan safe.

A/N: Yah, it was short and kind of abrupt, but it was OK, right? I need suggestions for warrior names for Mudpaw, Mosspaw, and Tumblepaw. R&R, please!


	6. Warriors At Last

**This is kind of a dull, boring chapter with lots of ceremonys, but the next chapter is much more interesting-you'll find out what the first part of the prophecy means. Keep reading! -Aviation**

Chapter Four

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey please gather beneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting."

Tigerpaw padded up to Sootpaw and sat down beside her as Ivystar continued. "Three apprentices are ready to become warriors," the black she-cat meowed. Mosspaw, Tumblepaw, and Mudpaw stepped forwards.

"Redwhisker, Mouseflower, Swiftfoot, are you all satisfied that your apprentices are ready to become warriors?" The three warriors nodded their heads.

"I, Ivystar, leader of ThunderClan, ask StarClan to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warrior in their turn." Ivystar turned to the apprentices. "Do you promise to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," the three apprentices chorused.

"Then I give you your warrior names. Mosspaw, from this moment on you will be known as Mossclaw. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." The leader rested her muzzle on Mossclaw's head and the new warrior licked her shoulder respectfully. "Tumblepaw, you will be known as Tumbleclaw. StarClan honors your bravery and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Tumbleclaw repeated the gesture and stood back. "Mudpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Mudfur. StarClan honors your strength and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Mudfur licked Ivystar's shoulder as the Clan chanted the names of the new warriors.

"Before you leave," Ivystar yowled above the noise. The Clan quieted down. "Flowerkit, Rosekit, and Gingerkit are ready to become apprentices."

"Flowerkit, until you are given your warrior name, you will be known as Flowerpaw. Mouseflower, you are ready for another apprentice. You will be Flowerpaw's mentor. Please teach Flowerpaw the same valuable skills you taught Mudfur." The two cats touched noses and went to sit down.

"Rosekit, until you are given your warrior name you will be known as Rosepaw. Cloudface, you are ready for another apprentice. Be sure to teach Rosepaw all the skills you have learned." Rosepaw excitedly touched noses with Cloudface. Tigerpaw wasn't surprised that she was so bouncy. Cloudface was an excellent mentor – Smokeflower, the deputy's first apprentice, used to tell Tigerpaw stories about her old mentor.

"Gingerkit, until you earn your warrior name you will be known as Gingerpaw. Mudfur, Gingerpaw will be your first apprentice. Make sure to teach him everything Mouseflower taught you." Mudfur and Gingerpaw touched noses and sat down together. Soon, the meeting was over.

"Tigerpaw, Sootpaw, Mistypaw, come with us," Ravenwind meowed. Beside him sat Sandheart and Lionstripe. With a glance and Sootpaw, Tigerpaw padded over to the three warriors.

"You three have until sun high to catch as much prey as possible. We will be watching you carefully," Lionstripe meowed. "Mistypaw, you go to Sunningrocks, Sootpaw, you go by Fourtrees, and Tigerpaw, go by Twolegplace."

Tigerpaw ran happily towards Twolegplace. This was an assessment!

The three apprentices returned precisely at sun high. Mistypaw carried a vole, three mice, and a rabbit. Sootpaw had two rabbits, a bird, and two mice. Tigerpaw had a rabbit, three mice, and a squirrel.

"Well done," Ravenwind purred, obviously proud of his apprentice. "We have decided that you three ought to be made warriors. Today."

Tigerpaw could barely contain his excitement. Warriors? All three of them? But then he remembered Hollypaw. Would she be OK?

Soon the six cats were back in the camp. Ivystar had already called the meeting. "Ravenwind, Sandheart, Lionstripe, are you satisfied that your apprentices are ready to become warriors?" The three cats nodded their heads.

"I, Ivystar, leader of ThunderClan, ask StarClan to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warrior in their turn." Ivystar turned to Tigerpaw and his friends. "Do you promise to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," they meowed in unison. To Tigerpaw, this was the one moment that made all of his hard work worthwhile.

"Then I give you your warrior names. Sootpaw, you will be known as Sootclaw. StarClan honors your bravery and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Sootclaw respectfully licked her leader's shoulder.

"Mistypaw, you will be known as Mistyleaf. StarClan honors your loyalty and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Mistyleaf licked Ivystar's shoulder and moved over by Sootclaw.

"Tigerpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Tigerheart. StarClan honors your skills and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Tigerheart quivered as he licked the she-cat's shoulder.

"Sootclaw! Mistyleaf! Tigerheart!" came the chants. As if in a dream, Tigerheart padded to the warriors' den, his two friends at his side. Mudfur, Tumbleclaw, and Mossclaw came to congratulate them.

Tigerheart was glad he was so excited. He didn't sleep at all during his vigil. Still, he had no idea of the troubles to come.

**A/N: I know this chapter was really, really, dull and boring, but the next one will be more interesting. I just remembered-ThunderClan needs a medicine cat apprentice. Anyone have suggestions for who it should be? Anyone except for Tigerpaw or Sootpaw (because they're main characters), or Ivystar (she's the leader-duh) would work out. What about Mistypaw/Mistyleaf? I don't know if I should make her a medicine cat apprentice or not. R&R please, and tell me what you think. The more reviews I get, the faster I update.**


	7. Missing!

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. This chapter is a gathering... but you also get an interpretation of the prophecy! Enjoy!**

Chapter Five

Almost a moon later, Tigerheart awoke to Ivystar's summons. Joining Mistyleaf, Sootclaw, and Hollyfur, who'd recently recovered and been given her warrior name, he wondered where Birdpaw and Fishpaw were. The two young apprentices should have been sitting with their mentors. He was about to ask where they were when Ivystar began to speak.

"Yesterday, Swiftfoot went out on a hunting patrol," the black she-cat meowed. "He hadn't returned by morning, and two apprentices, Birdpaw and Fishpaw, volunteered to go look for him. Neither of the apprentices has returned, and there is still no word of Swiftfoot. Ordinarily I would have sent some cat to look for them, but with what I believe is going on, I didn't dare."

Surprised yowls shook the clearing. "What's going on?" Darkspot, mother of Birdpaw and Fishpaw, demanded.

"We believe that whatever kidnapped the cats from WindClan and RiverClan has come to ThunderClan," Ivystar meowed.

Shocked meows came from almost every cat. Mistyleaf spoke up. "What will we do? Fishpaw is my apprentice, and we have to rescue her, along with the other missing cats."

"Stonefoot thinks that it has something to do with the prophecy. No one is quite sure what, though," Cloudface meowed, padding up.

"While we're gathered," Ivystar continued, "the gathering is tonight. The cats who will attend are Brightstorm, Mouseflower, Mudfur, Mossclaw, Tumbleclaw, Sootclaw, Tigerheart, Mistyleaf, Gingerpaw, Flowerpaw, Rosepaw, Cloudface, Stonefoot, and I. The rest of you must stay ready and alert for danger."

Soon, Tigerheart and his friends arrived at the gathering. "Let's see if we can find Dawnpaw," Hollyfur meowed.

The golden medicine cat apprentice was not hard to find. "Dawnpaw!" Sootclaw meowed excitedly.

"Actually, it's Dawnshadow now," she replied. "How have you been?"

"We're warriors now," Mistyleaf meowed proudly. "I'm Mistyleaf, Sootpaw is Sootclaw, Hollypaw is Hollyfur, and Tigerpaw is Tigerheart."

"But the kidnapper has struck our clan," Sootclaw meowed solemnly. "Swiftfoot and Fishpaw are missing, along with my apprentice, Birdpaw."

Dawnshadow's smile disappeared. "Yellowpaw, Smokepaw, and Cinderpaw were hunting a few days ago. Whatever the animal was, it tried to kidnap them. Treeshadow tried to stop them and was killed."

Tigerheart was stunned. Treeshadow was dead, and three ShadowClan apprentices had disappeared.

"I'm so sorry," Mistyleaf purred. Treeshadow had been Dawnshadow's mentor.

"Let the Gathering begin!" Rainstar meowed. The five cats joined the rest of the crowd at Fourtrees as they waited for their leaders to begin.

"I'll start," Fernstar meowed. "Almost all is going well for WindClan. We have three new warriors, Sandfur, Eagleclaw, and Redfur, along with two new apprentices, Ashpaw and Longpaw. But Runningstripe has been killed, apparently trying to save Talonkit, Swiftkit, and Runningkit, who have all been kidnapped. Emberclaw is now WindClan's deputy. It may be important to say that neither of our medicine cats has received more to do with the prophecy."

Fernstar stepped down and Rainstar stepped up. "RiverClan is also prospering, other than the kidnapping of Russetclaw and his apprentice Thornpaw when they were out training. Neither Wetfur nor Riverpaw who originally received the prophecy has heard more from StarClan. Good news is that we have two new warriors, Hawktalon and Fernclaw."

Whitestar stepped up. "Three of our apprentices, Yellowpaw, Cinderpaw, and Smokepaw, were hunting a few days before this gathering. All three were kidnapped. In the act of trying to save them, Treeshadow, our medicine cat, was killed. Dawnshadow is our medicine cat now. Good news is that Willowpaw, Goldenpaw and Talonpaw have become Willowcloud, Goldenfeather, and Talonclaw."

Before Ivystar could speak, a large rabbit hopped along the edge of the clearing. Suddenly, an eagle swooped down from the sky. It grabbed the rabbit and carried it off in its talons.

"Mouse-brained prey-birds," Dawnshadow meowed irritably.

"What did you say?" Mistyleaf demanded. "Prey-birds? Oh no, it can't be. It's impossible."

"What is?" Hollyfur meowed worriedly. But before Mistyleaf could answer, Ivystar began to speak.

"We have five new apprentices, two of which aren't here today. The three that are here are Gingerpaw, Rosepaw, and Flowerpaw. We also have seven new warriors, Mossclaw, Mudfur, Tumbleclaw, Sootclaw, Mistyleaf, Tigerheart, and Hollyfur. The bad news is that Swiftfoot went out yesterday and was not back this morning. Our other two new apprentices, Fishpaw and Birdpaw, went to look for him. All three have disappeared. Stonefoot has no information from StarClan involving the prophecy. I suggest that patrols should have no fewer than six cats, no cat can go off alone, and kits should not be allowed out of the nursery."

The other three leaders agreed completely. "If no one has anything else to say…" Whitestar meowed.

"Wait!" Mistyleaf meowed. All the cats in the clearing stared at the grey she-cat in surprise.

"Well, what is it, Mistyleaf?" Ivystar asked. The ThunderClan leader seemed the most surprised of all.

"When the eagle swooped down and caught the rabbit in its talons," Mistyleaf meowed, "Dawnshadow said something about eagles being prey-birds."

"And why is this important?" Thornspot, the WindClan medicine cat, meowed irritably.

"In the prophecy," Mistyleaf continued like Thornspot had never spoken. "In the prophecy it said that 'Talons of Prey from far above will come and steal those whom you love'."

"Yes, yes, we're all aware of the prophecy," Thornspot hissed. "You have no need to remind us." A glare from Fernstar silenced him.

"Those whom we love are obviously the cats that have gone missing," Mistyleaf went on. "And if the prey-bird caught that rabbit in its talons, couldn't it also have picked up a cat? So 'talons of prey' must mean prey birds, since birds are from far above."

The only response Mistyleaf got was awed stares. "I think she's right," Wetfur meowed. "There's no other explanation."

"But what do we do about it?" Whitestar asked. "And we still don't know what the mountain claws are."

"I have an idea," meowed a voice. Mossclaw began tentatively but grew more confident as she went on. "'Mountain claws' probably means something in the mountains over there." The tortoiseshell she-cat motioned towards the mountains with her tail.

"My warriors are especially smart today," Ivystar meowed. "And I have a proposition." The cats quieted down to hear what Ivystar had to say.

"I think that a small group of perhaps sixteen cats should go to the mountains and check out these 'mountain claws'. Since ThunderClan and ShadowClan have been harmed the least by this ordeal, they should each provide six cats for this quest. WindClan and RiverClan should each provide two cats."

The other leaders all seemed to like this idea. "Each Clan's chosen cats should come to Fourtrees in two days' time," Rainstar decided. With that, the gathering ended.

Arriving in ThunderClan camp, Ivystar immediately jumped atop High Rock. She gave the summons, even though most of the cats were already gathered. After explaining what happened at the Gathering, she began to talk about which cats should go on the quest. "I was talking with Cloudface on the way home," the leader meowed. "We have already decided which cats will go."

Hushed meows could be heard throughout the clearing as the cats guessed who would go.

"We have selected Mistyleaf, Sootclaw, Hollyfur, Tigerheart, Brightstorm, and Cloudface."

**A/N: Should I cram everything in one book or write a sequel? I think I'll do a mini series. Three books? Maybe I'll do six and change the POV after the third. What's the best warrior name you can think of that has 'flight' in it? I can't say why, but it's important… R&R!**


	8. Quest

Chapter Six

"Wake up!" Sootclaw meowed. "We're getting ready to leave." The black she-cat's voice jerked Tigerheart out of his sleep.

The golden tom walked with his friend to the fresh-kill pile. Sootclaw grabbed a fat mouse and Tigerheart grabbed a juicy vole.

The two warriors joined Hollyfur, Mistyleaf, Brightstorm, and Cloudface at the entrance within minutes. "Let's go," Cloudface purred confidently.

It was half way to sun high when the six cats reached Fourtrees. When they arrived, the RiverClan patrol was already there.

"Hi, Riverpaw," Mistyleaf meowed happily. "Doesn't your Clan need you? You are the medicine cat apprentice."

"I know, but Rainstar wondered what would happen if StarClan needed to talk to the cats on the journey, and also what would happen if any cat got hurt. She said a medicine cat would be helpful," the grey and brown she-cat meowed. "This is Clawtail," Riverpaw purred, flicking her tail towards a silver and grey she-cat.

"Hello," meowed a voice. "We would be the WindClan patrol."

The cats whirled around to find a golden tom staring at them. "I'm Windpaw, the WindClan medicine cat apprentice. Seems like Rainstar had the same idea Fernstar did," the apprentice meowed, motioning to Riverpaw. "The other WindClan cat is Snaketail."

Snaketail was a brown and white tom with a long, snake-like tail and startling ice-blue eyes.

"Now we only have to wait for ShadowClan," Cloudface meowed, glancing in the direction of ShadowClan camp.

ShadowClan did not keep them waiting long. Soon, six cats emerged from the underbrush.

Tigerheart recognized one golden she-cat as Goldenfeather, Dawnshadow's sister. "Hello," the she-cat meowed. "Dawnshadow said to say she was sorry she couldn't come, but she's ShadowClan's only medicine cat now."

The other five ShadowClan cats were Jetstorm, a brown and grey she-cat; Ashmask, a brown and black she-cat; Willowcloud, a brown and grey she-cat; Talonclaw, a golden-brown tom; and Foxshadow, a ginger and black tom.

Tigerheart thought it odd that Mistyleaf seemed so comfortable around Riverpaw and Windpaw, but he soon pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind as the journey began.

Soon the sixteen cats had reached the foot of the mountains. "Well," Tigerheart meowed. "This is where our journey REALLY begins."

The Clan cats proceeded up the mountain, Cloudface in front and Tigerheart, Sootclaw, Hollyfur, Mistyleaf, Riverpaw, and Windpaw in the back.

Suddenly, a harsh voice erupted from the ledge above them. "Just where do you think _you're_ going?"

**A/N: I know it was short, but I had to have a short, kind of cliffy chapter because the next one's really long and kind of boring. Don't worry-it'll have a really interesting, imagination sparking ending. Ooh-I have an idea- first three people to R&R for this chapter gets a sneak peak! I'll say who all of the mountain Claws are, what happpened to the missing cats, AND I'll give all of their descriptions. WARNING: You'll find spoilers that will give you a hint to the main conflict in the story. R&R! R&R! R&R!**


	9. The MountainClaws

**A/N: OK, just like I said in my one of my other stories, I just checked my stats. I have like 180 hits and 11 reviews. PLEASE, I need reviews! Thanks to Stormstar, Pinefur of DragonClan, xx-Secrets-xx, and warriormaniac6 for reviewing.**

Chapter Seven

The sixteen Clan cats crouched low, ready for battle. Five cats peered over the edge of the cliff. Tigerheart recognized the one who had spoken instantly, for he continued talking. "What are you doing here, intruders?!" The cat was a black and white tom.

"Your name suites you, Accusation," a ginger tom purred. "My name is Hazard. These are my…uh…well…I _guess _you could call them my friends. The black and white tom is Accusation, the tom that's ginger like me is Alert, the white and grey she-cat is Escapade, and the brown she-cat is Director. There are a few more cats a ways behind us. Who are you all?"

"We don't have time for that," Accusation hissed irritably. Tigerheart couldn't tell who was in charge. "Watchman," the hostile tom meowed, to a cat Tigerheart couldn't see. "Run and fetch Collision and Dominance."

"Who are they?" Jetstorm asked.

"Dominance is our leader and Collision is our lieutenant," Hazard meowed helpfully.

"Lieutenant means next in line to be leader," Escapade hissed. "For those of you who don't know."

A grey tom trotted up to the others. "Dominance says the cats should be taken straight to him."

"Thank you, Watchman," Hazard meowed. "Well, let's go."

Cloudface padded hesitantly after Hazard, the other Clan cats close behind. Where could they be going?

Soon they arrived in a large clearing that looked somewhat like a camp. In the middle stood a regal looking black and grey tom, and gathered around him were at least twenty other cats. The one in the middle must be Dominance, Tigerheart thought.

"Hello," the black and grey tom hissed. "What is this? Quite a few cats. What are you here for?"

Tigerheart looked at Hollyfur, Mistyleaf, and Sootclaw. All three she-cats stared at something slightly behind the cats in the camp.

Slowly, Mistyleaf padded up to Cloudface and whispered something to her. The white and grey she-cat's expression changed dramatically, but Tigerheart couldn't quite hear what they were saying.

"We are on a long journey," Cloudface meowed. "And we are in need of a resting place. Just for a night or two."

"I don't see why not," Dominance purred, suddenly acting much nicer. "But first-who is your leader? Certainly not a she-cat?"

"Of course not," Cloudface purred, easily hiding her surprise. Tigerheart wondered who she would say was leader. Certainly not him. Maybe…

"See the golden tom with the green eyes? His name is Tigerheart. He is our leader," Cloudface meowed.

Tigerheart tried not to look as shocked as he felt. "Um, yes," he said, stepping forwards. "I'm the leader."

"Alright," meowed a brown tabby tom. "You sleep in that cave there." He motioned with his tail towards a large cave.

Tigerheart realized that everyone was waiting for him. He slowly padded towards the cave. Once inside, he instantly notice a few other cats.

"Hello," purred a voice. "I'm Commander." The voice was that of a brown tom that looked even more regal than Dominance. "The golden tom is Deserter, and I think you already know Hazard. Don't worry. You can trust us."

"What do you mean?" Cloudface asked. "Why can't we trust your leader? And why should we listen to you?"

"Let me tell you what's going on," purred a gold and ginger she-cat. "My name is Confidence, by the way."

The Clan cats settled down to hear what Confidence had to say

"The group of cats in here is planning to break away from Dominance's rule. We'd form a new group. Commander would be our leader, Deserter would be our lieutenant, and Euphoria would be our medicine cat."

"Why would you want to break away from your leader?" Willowcloud meowed. "Has he done something that bad?"

"Yes," purred a grey she-cat. "But before we continue our story, let's go over some things. Who are you all?"

Sootclaw stepped up. "The cat that just spoke is Willowcloud. This is Tigerheart, Mistyleaf, Cloudface, Hollyfur, Brightstorm, Windpaw, Riverpaw, Clawtail, Jetstorm, Ashmask, Snaketail, Talonclaw, Goldenfeather, and Foxshadow, and I'm Sootclaw." The black she-cat motioned to each cat with her tail when she said its name.

"Alright," Confidence purred. "Our leader is called a leader, our second-in-command is called a lieutenant, our healer is called a medicine cat, our fighters are called combatants, our trainees are called students, she-cats without kits are called knights, she-cats with kits are called kit-mothers, and kits are…well…kits."

"Our system is very similar," Cloudface meowed. "But our second-in-command is called a deputy, our toms and she-cats without kits are both called warriors, our kit-mothers are called queens, and our trainees are called apprentices. We are from four clans, ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan, and our ancestors are called StarClan. Do you have Clans?"

"Sort of," Deserter meowed. "Like your group names end in -Clan, our group names end in -Claws. The group Dominance leads is called the MountainClaws."

**A/N: Ya, it was REALLY long and REALLY boring, but the end was kind-of cliffy. The next chapter is kind of boring at first, and really long, but it will get very interesting. I'm not updating until I get at least 2 more reviews from two different people. If it takes two weeks, I'll update in two weeks. If it takes two minutes, I'll update in two minutes. So R&R! Also, I'm giving another prize. Today's prize is a surprise, but R&R! R&R! R&R! R&R! R&R!**


	10. Dreams and Prophecies

**A/N: This is my longest chapter yet - 1936 words. It's mainly about signs from StarClan and other, not as important, but still metionable, prophecies. Enjoy!**

Chapter Eight

Tigerheart gasped. MountainClaws? Could it be?

"Do the MountainClaws have any prisoners?" Hollyfur demanded.

"We were getting to that," Commander meowed. "Collision is able to speak the language of the prey-birds. (A/N: Think how Midnight could speak the languages of other animals.) He uses them to capture small groups of cats traveling by themselves. He keeps them prisoners until they agree to join the MountainClaws."

"Our plan," Deserter meowed, "is to rescue the trapped cats from the Prison Cave and then form a new Claw group."

"Are you friends of the kidnapped cats?" Confederate purred. "Your names sound similar."

"Yes, we are," Sootclaw meowed. "We're here to rescue them. Perhaps you could help us."

"I don't see why not," Commander purred. "But can you all be battle-ready by sun high tomorrow?"

"We are battle-ready now," Cloudface meowed. "But we will wait, if you think it will increase our chances of succeeding."

**Minutes Later… (A/N: Discard -an evil MountainClaw tom- heard Commander's and Deserter's plan and is telling Dominance)**

_"Are you sure, Discard?" Dominance meowed to a brown tabby tom. "We must be careful not to make too many false accusations."_

_"Yes, I'm sure," Discard hissed. "Commander and Deserter have banded together with all the cats in their cave. Tomorrow at sun high they will fight to free the prisoners, and then they will break away from your rule."_

_"Then we must begin the fight, since we are sure it will happen," Dominance thought out loud._

_"You are right," Collision meowed. "We should rally every combatant and knight still on our side. We will wake before sun rise and attack when the first beams of light are upon us. It would be mouse-brained to wait until sun high, when they'll be ready for us."_

_"See to it that such is done," Dominance ordered. "They want a battle? We'll give them a war!"_

**Meanwhile… (A/N: This is a conversation between the kits of the group of cats who are breaking away from the MountainClaws)**

_"Come on! We're only kits!" complained a grey tom. "There's no way we can help. We'll just be in the way."_

_"Nonsense," purred a ginger she-cat with a white throat and white paws. "We can be plenty of help, Storm Fury."_

_"We're not all as brave as you, Aviation," Storm Fury told the ginger she-cat._

_"Fine," Aviation meowed. "But I want at least six other kits to help. Volunteers?"_

(A/N: A couple of minutes later…)

_"OK, so we've got Spice, Flame, Whirlwind, Typhoon, Hallucination, Cyclone, and me," Aviation purred. "Seven kits, only three moons old. But that doesn't mean we can't fight."_

_"We'd be beaten easily if the MountainClaw combatants and knights knew we were going go fight," Whirlwind meowed._

_"That's why we're going to surprise them, right Aviation?" Cyclone asked._

_"Right," the ginger she-cat purred in approval. "Does anyone have any ideas on how we could do that?" The kit spoke as if she had a foolproof plan and just wanted the others to feel included._

_"No one? Well, tell me how you could add to this: We could spy on them to see what they are doing and ruin their plans. How can you make that plan better?" Aviation meowed._

_"I have an idea," came a voice from near the back._

_"Yes, Flame?" Aviation asked anxiously._

_"Well…here's what we should do…"_

**That night… **(A/N: Here's a dream the medicine cat Euphoria has from StarClan, and yes, Commander's followers believe in StarClan)

_"Euphoria?" purred a voice. "Wake up. There is a prophecy I must deliver to you."_

_Euphoria awoke to find a dark brown and light grey tom staring at her. "Are you from StarClan? Who are you?" the medicine cat asked._

_"I'm Runningstripe. I was the WindClan deputy before I died trying to save three kits from a pair of kidnapping hawks. But that's beside the point."_

_The grey tom's white paws padded silently across the cave. "Your new group will fail if not led next by a young cat who now lies in the nursery."_

_"Who?" Euphoria asked, confused. "Aviation?" Aviation was the strongest and the bravest of any of the kits, and her close friends, Flame, Spice, Whirlwind, Cyclone, Hallucination and Typhoon, were sure to make good combatants and knights. Cyclone, though, seemed most at home in the caves._

_"No, not Aviation," Runningstripe meowed. "She and five other kits were never truly a part any Claw group. They belong in ThunderClan. The cat that will save you is a great windy storm - no typhoon, but rather son of a _Hazard_ous cliff and a patrolling _Sentry_. Good luck."_

_Just as suddenly as he'd come, Runningstripe was gone, his ice blue eyes disappearing into the mist._

_"Hey, who's that?" Euphoria asked. Four cats standing nearby disappeared as soon as they were noticed._

(A/N: There's a reason Hazard and Sentry aren't Italic in the prophecy. You'll know why soon…)

**In StarClan…**

_"Did you deliver the prophecy, Runningstripe?" Snowpool asked._

_"Yes, I did," the grey and white tom meowed. "One thing troubles me, though-ThunderClan doesn't have a medicine cat apprentice and Stonefoot is growing old._

_"True, true," Snowpool meowed. "Perhaps…Mistyleaf? She would make a good medicine cat, and she's young enough. She doesn't seem to ever have had any lovers, so it shouldn't be too difficult for her to keep away from ever having a mate or kits."_

_"I agree, Mistyleaf is a fine choice, Snowpool," purred a white tom with odd black stripes, his amber gaze confident. "But perhaps we should select a cat to be Mistyleaf's apprentice as well. I have an idea..."_

_Snowpool purred happily. "What did you have in mind, Treeshadow?"_

**Commander's Dream…**

_Commander awoke to find a grey she-cat staring at him. "Sky of No Clouds!" he exclaimed. Sky of No Clouds, or Sky, had been a kit in the Tribe of Rushing Water, another group of warrior cats who lived in the East Mountains. She'd been carried of by a falcon when she wasn't even a moon old. An old kit-mother whose kit had just become a student took her in. Sky had been Commander's mate, but she, along with their first and only litter of kits, perished in a giant rock slide._

_"You will be the first leader of a new group of Claw cats," the beautiful white she-cat meowed. "You will lead the VolcanoClaws into battle time and time again, and be victorious every time, for Volcanoes are the beginnings of Mountains," she purred._

_"So we will be called the VolcanoClaws," the big brown tom meowed decidedly. "But must you go so soon?"_

_"Don't worry," Sky purred as she began to fade. "We will meet again…"_

**Stonefoot's Dream…**

_Stonefoot lay fretting. He knew that he was getting old, and yet none of the cats in the camp seemed like they would make good medicine cats._

_What about the questing cats? Hollyfur? No, he'd offered her the option when she'd been recovering from her encounter with the giant rats. She'd reluctantly turned him down and looked in the direction of the warriors' den, where a group of young toms sat bickering._

_"Stonefoot…"purred a voice from outside his den. Stonefoot padded out. Misty air hung everywhere and the only thing he could see was a single leaf. Mistyleaf! She was perfect! Mistyleaf would be his apprentice!_

**Back in the Cave…**

_Tigerheart lay with Mistyleaf, Sootclaw, and Hollyfur, pondering what he'd just heard. Six kits coming to ThunderClan? One of them was Aviation. That was good. Tigerheart had seen the little she-cat a few minutes ago. She would certainly make a good warrior._

_"I don't get it," Sootclaw meowed. "It doesn't make sense-the wind part, I mean."_

_"I get it," Mistyleaf purred. "The wind part. Here's my reasoning. It could mean Typhoon, but the prophecy distinctly said it was not. That leaves Whirlwind and Cyclone. Son of a hazardous cliff? Remember how we met Hazard on the cliff? If Hazard was the hazardous cliff, that would make the patrolling sentry Hazard's mate, Sentry, and Cyclone is their son. So the chosen cat is Cyclone."_

_"You're good at that," Hollyfur meowed._

_"Thank you," Mistyleaf purred. "When we get back, I'm going to ask Stonefoot if I can be a medicine cat."_

_"Really?" Tigerheart meowed. "You'd make a good one."_

_"Well, goodnight. We have a busy day tomorrow."_

**Mistyleaf's Dream…**

_Mistyleaf awoke to the words of another cat. "Mistyleaf…Mistyleaf…I'm Leafstream. I was the RiverClan medicine cat before Snowpool."_

_Mistyleaf sat up straight. Leafstream was mostly ginger with grey spots. "Yes, Leafstream?" the young cat purred._

_"I have come to you for many reasons. One is to confirm your belief that you are to be the next ThunderClan medicine cat. Another is to tell you that six kits from the new Claw group, the VolcanoClaws, will join ThunderClan, but that is not the most important news. Come with me."_

_The ginger and grey she-cat ran out of the cave, and when Mistyleaf followed her, she found herself not in the MountainClaw camp but in a grassy meadow._

_"Look at the sky and you will see something that is to come," Leafstream meowed. Mistyleaf looked up._

_A single cloud, shaped like a cat's face, was in the sky. It was blown near a chain of mountains. _That's funny_, Mistyleaf thought._ Those mountains look like cat claws.

_As the cloud passed over the claw-like mountains, it was torn apart, leaving not a single trace._

_"A cloud like a cat's face…" Mistyleaf thought. "Cloudface! Torn apart by mountain claws!"_

_"That is correct, young one," Leafstream purred. "There is no way to stop this horrible event from taking place."_

_"But she is deputy," Mistyleaf meowed. "Who will take her place?"_

_"That is the other reason I am here," Leafstream said. "Look to the sky once more and you will see the name of the next leader of ThunderClan."_

_This time, when Mistyleaf looked up, night had fallen. Silverpelt stretched above them. One star was gigantic. Right in its center was a holly berry._

_"Hollyfur," Mistyleaf purred. She was glad that her friend would be deputy. But there was still a problem. "Hollyfur hasn't had an apprentice."_

_When Mistyleaf looked around for Leafstream, she couldn't find her. But in the middle of the field, right under the giant star, was a tiny pool of water and in it swam a fish. A rose grew nearby, right next to a leaf Mistyleaf could barely see because of the mist._

_"Of course!" Mistyleaf meowed in satisfaction. "Rosepaw is Cloudface's apprentice now, and when Cloudface dies, she'll need a new mentor. Maybe...oh well, someone else can decide. But once she's a warrior, I'll probably be medicine cat and I can take her as my apprentice. But when I become a medicine cat apprentice, Fishpaw will need a new mentor. So she could by Hollyfur's apprentice. That's perfect!"(A/N: Simply put, Fishpaw will be Hollyfur's apprentice so she can become deputy, and Rosepaw will be Mistyleaf's apprentice after Mistyleaf is medicine cat.)_

_"Exactly," Leafstream murmured. Her starry pelt became visible for a few seconds, and then it was gone._

**A/N: This chapter was kind of long, but it wasn't TOO boring, was it? Anyway, there's a battle in the next chapter, so don't stop reading! I'm going to Wolf Ridge, which is this one camp, tomorrow, and I won't have computer access for three days. I'm gonna bring my notebook and write new chapter for all three of my stories, though. I want at least three new reviews before I get back, then I'll update. R&R!**


	11. The Battle Begins

**A/N: Ok, I updated! And I'm giving you a nice long chapter, and action! So PLEASE review!**

Tigerheart stood silently. Aviation and her group of kits had found out that Dominance was aware of their plans. He was going to attack at sunrise.

"We'll be ready then," Commander meowed. He looked around, searching for spies.

"We just counted the number of cats asleep in the MountainClaw main den," Aviation purred. "None are missing."

"Thank you." Commander sounded slightly surprised. "Then we must free the prisoners at half past moon high."

Since no one argued, Commander continued. "We need several cats to help free the prisoners. How about one or two from each Clan?"

"That makes sense," Cloudface meowed. "How about Clawtail of RiverClan and Snaketail of WindClan?"

The two cats nodded.

"And what about Goldenfeather and Talonclaw of ShadowClan?"

Neither warrior objected.

"For ThunderClan…I'll send three...Tigerheart, Hollyfur, and Sootclaw?"

Before Tigerheart could nod, Mistyleaf leapt up to Cloudface and whispered something to her that Tigerheart couldn't hear.

"I see," Cloudface purred. "In that case, Tigerheart, Hollyfur, and Mistyleaf will go."

"And Confederate will show them the way," Commander meowed.

Tigerheart nodded slowly, and then padded over towards Sootclaw. "What was that about?" he demanded.

"Well…" the black she-cat purred slowly. "I'm going to have kits. Soon"

Tigerheart's mood instantly changed. "_Our _kits?" he asked.

"Yes," Sootclaw purred. "Mistyleaf just confirmed it."

Tigerheart could barely contain his glee, but then he remembered something. "There's a battle tomorrow. You can't fight if you'll be kitting soon."

"Don't worry," Sootclaw sighted. "I won't fight. I'll sleep in the kit-mothers' den with the others form the VolcanoClaws."

"Good," Tigerheart purred, pressing his nose into his mate's fur.

OoOoO

Tigerheart led the patrol, keeping an eye out for trouble. Confederate padded silently behind him, motioning where to go with her tail. Soon they reached a large cave.

"They're in here," Confederate meowed. "But wait-I smell MountainClaws."

Three toms circled the entrance.

"That's...Alert, Beware, and Discard," Confederate hissed.

"What should we do?" Goldenfeather purred worriedly.

"We must take them down immediatly," came a voice from behind them-Hollyfur. "We can't give them a chance to yowl for help."

"We can't kill them!" Talonclaw hissed.

"That's not what I meant," Hollyfur meowed patiently. "Mistyleaf, maybe you could give them something to make them sleep?"

"It might not work right away," Confederate meowed. "But I could get...let's see...I can't think of anyone whose pelt is dusty-brown."

"Why do you need a cat with a certain colored pelt?" Windpaw asked.

"Those mouse-brains _might _believe it was Thorn, their medicine cat."

"What about me?" meowed a brown tom with white stripes almost invisible in the dim light and a long, snake-like tail.

"It just might work, Snaketail" Tigerheart decided. "But role in some mud first, to disguise your scent and make you look completely brown."

Snaketail covered himself in mud and padded up to Mistyleaf, who gave him three leaves, each filled with poppy seeds.

"What if they know what poppy seeds do?" Clawtail asked. "They can't be that mouse-brained."

"Well, they are," Confederate hissed. "I'd know-I had to train with them."

"Alright, go ahead, Snaketail," Mistyleaf meowed. "Tell them it's food that keeps you awake. If they don't believe it, just use your imagination."

Snaketail padded out. Tigerheart and the rest of the patrol waited anxiously in the bushes.

"Who are you?" a grey tom demanded.

"That's Beware," Confederate whispered.

"I'm Thorn, your medicine cat, you mouse-brain! I slipped and landed in the mud, so that's probably why you don't recognize me," Snaketail purred. "I brought some seeds that will keep you awake."

"Alright," Beware purred. "Do we eat all of them?"

"Each of you should eat one leaf-full for the seeds to work properly," Snaketail meowed.

"Okay," Beware meowed, picking up the leaves and taking them to his companions.

Tigerheart could barely surpress a laugh. The mouse-brains! The golden tom watched the three guards eat every last one of the poppy seeds. Soon, all three were asleep.

"Quiet now," Tigerheart whispered, stepping out from the bushes and padding slowly towards the cave. "Confederate, Riverpaw, Windpaw, Goldenfeather, Snaketail, Mistyleaf, and Hollyfur, come with me. The rest of you, guard the entrance."

Tigerheart entered the cave with his chosen cats. It was a long cave, and deep. "Your friends will be at the very back," Confederate informed them.

The patrol moved steadily, soon reaching the back of the cave. The walls were lined with ledges on which a large number of cats sat. Gasps of surprise rose from the kidnapped Clan cats.

"Shh!" Hollyfur ordered. "You must be quiet!"

"Ok, Riverpaw of RiverClan, stand here," Tigerheart meowed, motioning with his tail to a small pile of rocks. "All RiverClan cats, go to Riverpaw. She'll count and make sure we have all the RiverClan cats. Windpaw, stand here, at this ledge. WindClan cats, go to him. Goldenfeather, stand by this ledge. ShadowClan cats, go to her. ThunderClan cats go to Hollyfur."

The previously captive cats leapt down from the ledges and to the cats from their Clans. Tigerheart padded over to Riverpaw. "Do you have everyone?" he meowed.

"Bluepaw, Crowpaw, Graypaw, Thornpaw, Russetclaw, and Iceflower are all here," the medicine cat apprentice meowed. Tigerheart moved on to Windpaw.

"Talonkit, Swiftkit, and Runnningkit...yes, that's everyone," Windpaw meowed. The golden tom moved on to Goldenfeather.

Goldenfeather was going over all the cats again. "Nightpaw, Frostpaw, Barleypaw, Mudtail, Smokepaw, Yellowpaw, and Cinderpaw. This is eveeryone from ShadowClan, Tigerheart," she purred.

"Alright, Hollyfur? Do we have everyone from ThunderClan?" Tigerheart asked his sister.

"Swiftfoot, Fishpaw, and Birdpaw," the golden she-cat purred.

"Ok, that's everyone," Tigerheart meowed. "Let's go."

The golden tom padded out of the cave, where they rejoined the other cats. Soon, they were back in the den of the VolcanoClaws.

"Have you all of your Clanmates?" Commander asked.

"Yes," Tigerheart meowed.

"How many cats do we have in all, not counting kits?"

"Forty-four cats," Hollyfur meowed.

"Only twenty-one who can fight without serious injury," Mistyleaf meowed. "Windpaw, Riverpaw, Euphoria, and I are sure of it."

"Still, the MountainClaws have only eleven, right?" Hurricane, a ginger and grey she-cat, laughed.

"Wrong," came a voice. Aviation padded up. "They have thirty."

"Where did they get THIRTY cats?" Commander hissed.

"They captured a bunch of rouges, loners, and fierce kittypets," the kit meowed. "They offered them citizenship, and the cats took it."

"Do you know their names?" Confidence asked her daughter.

"Yes...the new MountainClaws are Jaws, Shark, Little Bite, Simba, Tambourine, Drum, Burly, Cliff, Sunny, Scissors, Knife, Blocks, Telephone, Shield, Arrow, Wolf, Meadow, Tinsel, and Gadget. Odd names, don't you think?" Aviation meowed.

"Well, most are probably named by Twolegs, so that would be why," Commander answered. "Now, to win, all we have to do is have nine cats battle two MountainClaw soldiers at once. First, though, who are the battle-ready cats?"

"Well, since I'm not counting medicine cats, we have Commander, Deserter, Hazard, Observation, Tornado, Acceleration, Confidence, Sentry, Confederate, Tigerheart, Cloudface, Hollyfur, Brightstorm, Clawtail, Jetstorm, Ashmask, Snaketail, Talonclaw, Goldenfeather, Foxshadow, and Willowcloud," Euphoria purred.

"I see. Well, I guess we'll have to make do. Here's the plan..."

OoOoO

"Wake up! It's nearly sunrise!" purred a voice, and a paw jabbed Tigerheart in the ribs. He jumped up to find Hollyfur staring at him, amused. He should have been angry, but instead he was excited. The battle was today! Tigerheart badly wanted to tear the MountainClaws apart for all they'd done to the Clans.

Suddenly, a groan broke the silence. "Nightpaw's not going to live much longer!"

The two siblings raced over. The black and brown WindClan tom lay on his side, his chest heaving.

Euphoria, Windpaw, Riverpaw, and Mistyleaf crowded around the tom. "Every cat who doesn't have something to do here, move off!" Mistyleaf commanded. As they began to tend the sick cat, Tigerheart heard a yowl from outside the cave. Dominance!

"Come on!" Commander meowed. "All cats not fighting, get to the back of the cave!" The tom raced forward, yowling his own battle cry.

Tigerheart raced along side the other cats, his claws itching to get at the pelts of those pieces of foxdung. A brown tabby tom Tigerheart recognized as the lieutenant, Collision, raced towards him. When Collision leapt, Tigerheart ducked low until the other tom was halfway over him. Then, he sprang upwards, digging his claws into the enemy's tender underbelly. Collision yowled in pain and dropped to the ground. Before he could get up, Tigerheart was on top of him. The golden tom dug his teeth into Collision's shoulder. Collision screeched in agony and tried to through his attacker off but he wouldn't budge. Tigerheart worked his claws against Collision's legs and felt blood gushing out. The lieutenant screeched and limped off.

_Wow, _Tigerheart thought. _That wasn't too hard._

Out of nowhere leapt a huge black tom with silver stripes on his face and a silver underbelly. He had Tigerheart pinned down and no matter what he did, Tigerheart couldn't shake the huge tabby off.

"I am Knife," the tom meowed. "And you are...dead!"

Knife lunged at Tigerheart's throat, and the golden tom closed his eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, exciting! What's gonna happen? You'll know if you read Aviation Studios Presents: Chapter 2: Mountain Menace Trailer. WARNING: Spoilers! I want 4 new reviews before I update...**


	12. Bittersweet

**A/N: Here are allegiances for the MountainClaws, thought they might be helpful.**

**Leader**: Dominance - black tom with grey spots

**Lieutenant**: Collision - brown tabby tom

**Medicine Cat: **Thorn - dusty brown tom

**Combatants**:

Beware - grey tom

Alert - ginger tom

Watchman - grey tom

Discard - brown tabby tom

Accusation - black and white tom

Jaws - blue-grey tom

Shark - blue-black tom

Simba - dark brown tom

Drum - dusty brown tom

Burly - dark blue-black tom

Cliff - grey tom

Scissors - silver tom

Blocks - black tom

Telephone - grey tom

Shield - blue-grey tom

Wolf - silver and grey tom

Meadow - brown tom

Tinsel - silver tom

Gadget - smoky grey tom

Knife - black tom with silver stripes on his face and a silver underbelly

**Knights: **

Director - brown she-cat

Escapade - white and grey she-cat

Concentration - black she-cat

Little Bite - white she-cat

Tambourine - silver she-cat

Sunny - yellowish-red she-cat

Arrow - brown and silver she-cat

**Kit-mothers**: None

**Kits**: None

OoOoO

Instead of a death blow, Tigerheart felt the weight being lifted as Knife yowled and jumped away. Tigerheart stood, dazed...until he saw who had saved him. A mostly ginger she-cat clung to Knife's back, her claws scraping furiously. "Aviation, no!" Tigerheart shouted, leaping back into the battle and sinking his claws into Knife's shoulder. Knife yowled again and Aviation leapt off. Tigerheart gave Knife a vicious bite on the ear and the evil tom ran off yowling like a kit. "Uh...thanks..." Tigerheart meowed to Aviation. "But you shouldn't be out here!"

"We wanted to help," Aviation meowed defiantly. "And we're not going to go back into the cave until the VolcanoClaws win this battle!"

Tigerheart looked around. The VolcanoClaws were already winning. Only one MountainClaw cat had no opponent. Tigerheart rushed towards him...but at the last second he realized that the tom was -Tigerheart gulped- Dominance! The black and grey tom turned towards Tigerheart with an evil grin. Now the golden warrior was unsure: could he win this battle? He had to try.

Suddenly, he noticed that he had acquired a small army. He recognized Flame, Hallucination, Whirlwind, Typhoon, Spice, Cyclone, and of course Aviation running next to him. Well, it couldn't be helped, and right now he needed backup, even if it came from kits.

"You brought an army," Dominance laughed. "How cute!"

Aviation hissed loudly and spat in the direction of the evil tom. Dominance actually moved back as he realized who the kits were. Tigerheart wasn't surprised. Aviation and her friends were sly and agile. This fight would be easy.

Dominance regained his composure quickly. "You should know," he hissed, "that the word 'fear' is not in my vocabulary."

"Maybe not," Aviation snarled. "But it's in your eyes."

Tigerheart noticed this as well. "Ready?" he asked the kits.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Aviation meowed confidently, yowls of agreement coming from the other kits.

Tigerheart grinned. "Attack at will!" he meowed, leaping at the big tom, the seven kits right behind him. The fight flew by in a blur. Flame, Hallucination, Spice, and Typhoon each clamped their jaws onto one of the tom's legs. Whirlwind and Cyclone crawled under him and scraped at his underbelly. Aviation scraped Dominance's back with her claws. Tigerheart sank his teeth into the tom's shoulder and bit down hard.

Dominance yowled loudly. "Alright!" he screeched. "We surrender!"

The fighting stopped. Tigerheart released his grip and stepped back proudly as the remaining MountainClaws ran away.

As they ran, Commander caught Dominance. "We won't let you go unless you agree to our terms. We will live peacefully, in two separate groups. YOU will stop kidnapping cats. Agreed?"

"Fine! Now let me go!" Dominance yowled. Commander let the MountainClaw leader rush off.

"Have there been any serious injuries?" asked Euphoria, stepping out.

"Yes," Mistyleaf meowed sadly. Tigerheart turned to look at her. The soon-to-be medicine cat stood next to a lifeless form that lay on the ground. It was a white she-cat with grey spots and amber eyes. Tigerheart gasped. Cloudface!

OoOoO

* * *

**A/N: Short, I know, but the next is much longer. It's getting close to the end of the book -sobs- but if you look at my profile you can read about the sequels. Also, I need a warrior name for Windpaw. Any ideas? R&R!**


	13. Six New Cats

**A/N: Sry for the wait! Wow, this story is nearly over. There will be 16 chapters in all…and then comes the sequel! (I changed the title, it's called Still River. And the summary on my profile is inaccurate, I'm in the process of creating a new summary now…so yah...at the end of this chapter are the allegiances for the VolcanoClaws.**

Tigerheart looked out over the ridge. He was standing on a small cliff, with Cloudface in the middle of it. They were holding a vigil for her, with Sootclaw, Mistyleaf, Hollyfur, Swiftfoot, Birdpaw, Fishpaw, Brightstorm, and himself in attendance. Looking out, Tigerheart could see the forest. He recognized the big oak near ThunderClan, and he could make out monsters zooming along the Thunderpath. The view was great up here!

"Tigerheart," came a voice. "Tigerheart?"

The golden tom looked back. It was Hollyfur speaking to him. "It's almost time to go bury Cloudface. Do you have anything you want to say?"

Tigerheart padded over to where the white and grey she-cat lay. "You were an amazing deputy," he meowed. "You worked hard for your Clan and would have been a great leader some day…but StarClan called you instead. Now you walk among Silverpelt, and hunt with the Stars, but I know you'll keep watch over ThunderClan like you did when you were here. May StarClan accept you with open paws."

Sootclaw looked lovingly at her mate, her tail swooshing back and forth happily. "But now we have to perform the burial," the black she-cat reminded him.

"Alright – let's get to work."

OoOoO

Soon the job was done, and no trace was left of the ThunderClan deputy. Two sunrises from now, the Clan cats would begin their journey back home. Deep down, Tigerheart wasn't sure he wanted to leave the peace there had been since the MountainClaws were defeated. He had a gut sensation that going back to ThunderClan was going to be dangerous – in more ways than one.

OoOoO

"What?"

Commander repeated his words. "As a show of gratitude, the VolcanoClaws would like to present ThunderClan with several of our kits."

"You don't have to," Hollyfur stated calmly. "We're always willing to help cats in need."

"But there was a prophecy." This time, Euphoria spoke. "Six kits belong with ThunderClan. And if these kits could step forward now…"

Spice and Flame stepped forwards simultaneously. Soon after were Whirlwind, Typhoon, and Hallucination. Last was Aviation. Out of all the kits, Aviation was the only one who looked sure.

"Well…alright." Hollyfur had agreed to take the kits. "We will set out at the same designated time – in two sunrises. That way, you'll have time to say your goodbyes. And don't worry – you can still visit them any time you like, but preferably not during famines unless you bring food." Several cats, including Tigerheart, snickered at this remark. "If that's all, we're going to need some rest."

Tigerheart went to lay down with his friends in a corner of the cave. Hollyfur had taken on the leadership position immediately after Cloudface's death, without even knowing of her place. She'd be a great leader. But there was still that gut feeling that something was about to go wrong.

**(A/N: Now here are the allegiances for the VolcanoClaws)**

**Leader**: Commander – big brown tabby tom

**Lieutenant**: Deserter – golden tom

**Medicine Cat**: Euphoria – pale ginger and white she-cat

**Combatants**:

Hazard – ginger tom

Observation – black and grey tom

Tornado – dark grey tom

Acceleration – grey tom

**Knights**:

Confidence – (after she gives her kits to ThunderClan) – golden she-cat, Deserter's mate

**Kit-mothers**:

Sentry – grey and ginger she-cat; mother of Hazard's kits

-Identification

-Flame

-Cyclone

-Mesmerize

Confederate – grey she-cat, mother of Acceleration's kits

-Obstruction

-Solider

-Hallucination

Hope – blue-grey she-cat, mother of Observation's kits

-Optimism

-Whirlwind

-Pursue

Hurricane – ginger and grey she-cat, mother of Tornado's kits

-Typhoon

-Storm Fury

-Spiral

(Note: The kits that go to ThunderClan are…

-Flame

-Hallucination

-Whirlwind

-Typhoon

(Confidence's kits)

-Spice

-Aviation

**A/N: Ok, there you go. And now, the chapter has ended…but review please! Any suggestions for names once Flame, Hallucination, Whirlwind, Typhoon, Spice, and Aviation reach the Clans? It will be Something-kit, so yah…and if you don't review I will name Aviation: Treestumpkit. And then her warrior name will be Treestumpflight. So unless you wish such a horrible fate on a poor innocent kit…review! lol Well, plz R&R.**


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